Fried Alligator Tails!

Here we are ZION! Chris and I went to Missouri this last week to scope out our new home! I can't believe that we are moving, we will miss Austin very much. I have never lived in a city like St. Louis. Growing up in the Bay, Portland, Utah Valley, and Austin there is not much diversity. St. Louis on the other hand is like a big melting pot. I have never lived close to the city either, and where Chris will be working is close to the city. We absolutely love it, the midwest is so friendly, and I thought the west was friendly. 

Day 1 in St. Louis we rented a car and got lost...I had been in contact with a couple of people from the ward so we went to see their apartment complex. We met a lot of people from the ward. Especially Park Forest 12 families live there from the ward! It's like a little Liberty Sq.! Oh good times...we were also in the midst of a tornado watch so there was not much going outside. We went to three or four apartments before heading back to Kathryn and David Dodds house. He is a resident in Ophthalmology Chris will be working with in a couple of years. They were incredibly nice enough to let us stay with them and their four adorable kids. 

Day 2 I slept in, which I was very happy about and Chris went to his interview. Poor guy, he was up at the crack of dawn and hasn't gotten a ton of sleep. He looked sharper than ever though. The people interviewing him from St. Luke's said in his interview, "Oh you're so blessed!" "Look you play the piano, Oh you're so blessed" "Oh look you have a wife! Oh you're so blessed!" "Oh I loved your personal statement, you are such a good writer, Oh you are so blessed!" I think that is a good thing to happen in an interview? So we made fun of this a little but really want to end up in St. Louis for four years so we will see what will happen. That morning I hung with Kathryn and two of her kids at hope looking at apartments on craigslist. Later that day, Chris got home and we went apartment hunting once again. This time we had a better knowledge of the areas.

Day 3 Chris surprised me with a hotel in downtown St. Louis! So we went to the Hyatt and then out to eat to get some Cajun food. Yes, this is what St. Louis is known for their Cajun food! Chris had some type of special Jambalaya and shrimp and sausage contraption. I had something "similar to mahi mahi" as what the waitress said. When my dinner came out to me there was a big shrimp on top of the fish head and all. You should have seen my face, I was like, that's not mine...I couldn't look at it, so I made Chris take the shrimp off. He then said Cameryn look, and he was playing with the shrimps antennae things. GROSS! We also ordered FRIED ALLIGATOR TAILS! Chris loved them! For me I couldn't get over the chewiness rolling around in my mouth.. They were spicy and then you dipped them in tartar sauce. I'm sure I will be experiencing food like this in St. Louis for a looong time. Chris went to his interview the next day and then once again we went apartment hunting. If you don't know where you are and are trying to look for apartments it can be exhausting. When we moved to Austin we had a locator show us around in one day and we found an apartment that day. Now it's day 3 and still no luck... Chris met a different resident in his interview at St. Mary's and he said to live in Lafayette. So we looked over in this area and loved it! They have this huge park where a lot of people walk there dogs and run. It's close to SLU and there are a lot of students in this ward which is what I wanted! They have these old historic houses that you can rent we were looking at, but in the end we saw the LOFT! This place was amazing, safe, pet friendly (wink), and close to SLU, they have gated parking and 24 hr surveillance camera, newer apartment, gym, there is a farmers market around the corner every saturday, the park is a block from it. The only downside is, not a ton of storage room. SO this is where my creativity comes in I tell Chris :) 

All in all, we loved St. Louis, I can't wait to call it my home. I did bring a camera, but didn't get any pictures, you wouldn't want to see them anyways it was pouring the whole time. 

Have a great week!

Cameryn